Posts Tagged ‘Brevin Knight’

December 4, 2013 · 8:17 PM ET

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — Seventeen games. That’s all it took for the first true sign of panic to show in Brooklyn. Nets coach Jason Kidd “reassigned” Lawrence Frank from his position as his top assistant and now we move on to Phase 2 of whatever this science project that things have turned into for one half of the league’s New York component.

The Knicks, enduring monumental struggles of their own, could be next. They’ve lost nine straight games and there are rumors swirling about Mike Woodson‘s job security. Beat Brooklyn Thursday night (7 p.m. ET, TNT) or else …

We’re only a little over a month into the 2013-14 season and already there are alarms going off in the Eastern Conference, where the peace sign represents the numbers of teams (Indiana and Miami) clear and free of the .500 mark on the young season. And that’s exactly where we come in on Episode 140 of the Hang Time Podcast.

Before catching up with Brevin Knight about the Memphis Grizzlies and Terry Stotts (culled from the Dec. 2 episode of The Beat on NBA TV) about the Portland Trail Blazers, Western Conference teams that are thriving here of late, we spend some time trying to figure out how these teams have gotten into the respective messes they currently inhabit. What does any of this have to do with Kobe Bryant‘s looming comeback (as early Friday night in Sacramento potentially)?

March 20, 2013 · 10:12 AM ET

HANG TIME NEW JERSEY — For NBA fans like us, there’s nothing better than League Pass. Having the ability to watch every game every night (and then again the next day) is heaven.

Of course, with local broadcasts, you get local broadcasters, which can be good and bad. It can be good, because these guys know their teams better than most national broadcasters. It can be bad, because these guys love their teams more than most national broadcasters. And they’re usually not afraid to show that love.

The national guys aren’t perfect either. And if they’re not careful, they may be featured here, where we highlight the best and worst of NBA broadcasts.

Here are a few more moments that made us laugh, made us smarter, or made us shake our heads.

Previous

1. A ticky-tack mugging

Game: Philadelphia @ Orlando, March 10Broadcast: Orlando

The Magic have one of the best (and smartest) broadcasting crews in the league, and it’s tough to pick on Richie Adubato here, because he’s just filling in for the excellent Matt Guokas. But calling this foul, where Thaddeus Young gets shoved out of bounds by Al Harrington, a “ticky-tack” call is kind of hilarious. In fact, Adubato actually suggests that the call “should have been our way.”

2. Timing is everything

Game: Memphis @ L.A. Clippers, March 13Broadcast: Clippers

Sometimes, it all falls into place.

First referencing the Grizzlies’ lack of shooting, Michael Smith explains how Quincy Pondexter gives them one guy who can knock down threes, and how Pondexter likes to spot up in the corner. Pondexter immediately proceeds to spot up in the corner and knock down a three.

As Ralph Lawler said, “Good call, Michael.”

3. But he didn’t MEAN to do it!

Game: Minnesota @ Memphis, March 18Broadcast: Memphis

Brevin Knight is a Jersey guy and I’ve been a fan since I saw him put the clamps on a scorer named Mark Bass (who went on to star at St. Joseph’s) as a sophomore in the 1991 state tournament. So it’s hard for me to call him out. But there’s no analyst around the league that uses the word “we” when talking about his team more than Knight, unless it’s back-up, Sean Tuohy.

Here, Knight somehow feels that Tayshaun Prince shouldn’t be called for a foul because he didn’t intend to make contact with Andrei Kirilenko. Play-by-play guy Pete Pranica says he didn’t see the contact at all.

A foul is a foul, intentional or not. It’s clear that both Prince and Kirilenko felt the contact, and Prince didn’t have any beef with the call.

4. Professor Petersen strikes again

Game: New Orleans @ Minnesota, March 17Broadcast: Minnesota

Three weeks ago, we praised Wolves broadcasters Dave Benz and Jim Petersen for their acknowledgement of advanced statistics. But the best part of a Minnesota broadcast is when Petersen has the time to delve into the Xs and Os behind a particular play.

Here, he explains how the Wolves’ initial actions on the preceding play were designed to get the defense moving and set up a Ricky Rubio – Nikola Pekovic pick-and-roll.

That’s great use of a timeout. Petersen may be the best teacher among NBA analysts, unafraid to bring coaching jargon to the broadcast in an effort to make his audience a little smarter.